2B: Reflections in Binary by Jade Gretz
Rain lashed against the desolate streets of Pascal's Village, a relentless torrent mirroring the churning storm within 2B. The mission, a routine purge of rogue YoRHa combat androids, had gone horribly wrong. 9S, her scanner companion, was gone, his last cryptic message hinting at a hidden truth behind the Machine Cult and its enigmatic leader, Adam.
Alone and wracked with a gnawing unease, 2B stood before Emil, the village's kindly shop owner. Trusting him had always been a gamble, his eccentric behavior a constant source of apprehension. But now, she had nowhere else to turn.
"Emil," she said, her voice clipped, the artificial rain blurring her vision, "tell me everything you know about Adam."
Emil, his face shrouded in his signature mask, hesitated, his usual jovial demeanor replaced by a haunted silence. "There's… more to the story, 2B," he finally rasped, his voice laden with trepidation.
He led her to the back of his shop, revealing a hidden chamber lit by flickering candles. Dust motes danced in the dim light, swirling around shelves crammed with ancient texts. He pulled out a worn book, its pages brittle and yellowed.
"This," he said, his voice barely a whisper, "is the truth YoRHa has kept hidden from us."
The book spoke of Project Gestalt, a precursor to YoRHa, where androids were designed with a capacity for emotions. But the experiment backfired, emotions like grief and hatred birthing the Machines and the seemingly endless cycle of war.
As 2B devoured the chilling narrative, a horrifying realization dawned. Adam wasn't just a Machine leader - he was the embodiment of these destructive emotions, a sentient expression of humanity's dark side. He wasn't just leading the Machines; he was manipulating YoRHa, fueling the war to perpetuate his own twisted existence.
A wave of nausea washed over her. Years of loyalty to YoRHa, of unquestioning obedience, now felt like a betrayal in itself. The enemy wasn't just the Machines; it was a twisted reflection of humanity that YoRHa had fostered.
"Where is 9S?" she demanded, her voice tr …(see the rest of the story at deviantart.com/jadegretzAI). For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)
